10 Common Waste Streams in Australia

From food scraps to broken electronics, Australians generate a lot of waste.

We generated an estimated 75.8 million tonnes of waste, or about 2.95 tonnes per person in 2020/21. So far, we recycle about 60% of this waste.

Here's a glimpse of the 10 most common types.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is primarily general waste collected from households and councils, such as through kerbside waste and recycling collections. This includes items such as food scraps, paper, and plastic.

Construction and Demolition Waste

Materials from construction or demolition sites, such as concrete, clay bricks, timber, metals, and plasterboard.

Electronic Waste (E-waste)

E-waste refers to discarded electronic devices such as computers and smartphones. These devices can contain toxic substances such as lead and mercury that can leach into the soil and waterways.

Hard or Bulky Waste

Hard waste includes items such as furniture and white goods. These items can often be repurposed or recycled to reduce their impact on the environment.

Food Waste

Food waste is self-explanatory – it’s the food that we throw away. When food waste ends up in landfill it produces methane – a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Clinical Waste

Clinical waste includes items such as used syringes and medical gloves. These items need to be disposed of carefully to prevent the spread of disease.

Glass Waste

Glass waste refers to discarded glass items such as bottles and jars. Glass can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality or purity.

Garden Waste

Garden waste includes items such as grass clippings and leaves. These items can be composted to create nutrient-rich soil for gardens.

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste refers to waste that poses significant risks to public health or the environment due to its toxic, corrosive, flammable, or reactive nature. This includes things such as chemical waste, asbestos, paints, automotive fluids, fluorescent lightbulbs that contain mercury.

Commercial and Industrial Waste

Industrial: Waste produced by industrial activities, including scrap metal, chemical solvents, and by-products from manufacturing processes.

Commercial: Commercial waste refers to waste generated by businesses and commercial activities, including offices, shops, restaurants. This type of waste encompasses a broad range of materials, such as paper, cardboard, food waste, packaging materials, electronic waste, and industry specific by-products.

Impacts of Waste Streams on the Environment

Each of these waste streams has its own unique impact on the environment. For example, food waste that ends up in landfill produces methane – a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. E-waste can contain toxic substances such as lead and mercury that can leach into the soil and waterways.

But it’s not all doom and gloom.

Many of these waste streams can be recycled or repurposed to reduce their impact on the environment. For example, glass can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality or purity.

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Operational Waste Management Plan

If your current or future development requires a Waste Management Plan, Makao can help.
We have extensive experience in developing effective Waste Management Plans for a range of projects (childcare, medical centres, apartments, retail, and mixed use developments).

Contact us today to get started.

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